Building panel



A. J. PALFEY BUILDING PANEL Oct. 3, 1967 Filed Sept. 2, 1964 INVENTOR. H/berfd. Pa/feg PTTORNEY Unitcd States Patent 3,344,574 BUILDING PANEL Albert J. Palfey, Midland, Mich assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 393,941

Claims. (Cl. 52615) This invention relates to an improved building panel. It more particularly relates to a fire resistant building panel having improved insulating properties.

A wide variety of composite panels have been constructed for building purposes. Many of the light weight panels are somewhat deficientin fire resistance in that cellulosic sheets form the outer surfaces, or in cases Where metallic sheets or layers foi'm the outer surfaces, combustible and heat decomposable materials are disposed immediately adjacent thereto and oftentimes in contact with the metallic surfaces giving rise to premature deorientation on exposure to fire. Oftentimes such panels, even when faced with metallic materials, provide a substantially direct thermal path from one face of the sheet to the other. Oftentimes in order to achieve maximum insulation cellular organic material such as foam plastics are employed in such panels. Frequently considerable difliculty is encountered when panels of this nature are subjected to fire as the plastic material oftentimes melts causing the panel to delaminate and providing further combustible fuel and increasing the fire hazard.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved heat insulation building panel having metallic surfaces.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved building panel which will be relatively light in weight and provide a minimal thermal path from one face of the panel to the other.

A further object oftthe" invention is to provide an improved building panel which'is fire resistant and incorporates a plastic foam..

Another object of .this invention is to provide an improved building panel which does not readily delaminate when exposed to fire.

A further object of the invention is to provide a building panel of relatively high physical strength.

These benefits and other advantages in accordance with the present invention are achieved by utilizing a building panel comprising at least a pair of spaced apart metallic facing sheets, each of the sheets having defined therein a plurality of rib members, each of the rib members projecting toward the inside of the panel, each of the spaced apart metallic sheets having a coating on the inner surface thereof comprising a layer of an inorganic nonflammable non-metallic material, a plurality of connecting members extending generally between the inorganic layers adjacent the facing sheets and securing the layers in spaced relationship, each of the connecting members being partially embedded in each of the layers of inorganic material and being in spaced relationship to the metallic facing sheets.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following specification when taken in connection with the drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic sectional representation of a section of a panel in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an alternate embodiment of a panel in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 3 schematically depicts a cutaway view of a panel in accordance with the invention wherein a honeycomb type core is employed;

FIGURE 4 is an alternate embodiment of a spacing or connecting member.

3,344,574 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 In FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a panel in accordance with the invention generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The panel 10 comprises in cooperative combination a first face sheet 12 having an exterior surface 13 and an interior surface 14. The sheet 12 defines a plurality of ribs 16 which extend or project from the inner surfaces 14. The ribs 16 terminate in a flange 17. A generally similar second face sheet 18 is disposed remotely from the sheet 16. The facing sheet 18 has an outer surface 19 and an inner surface 20. A plurality of ribs 22 are formed in the sheet 18. The ribs 22 extend inwardly into the panel away from the face 20 of the sheet 18. Each of the ribs 22 terminates in a flange or enlarged portion 24. A first layer of inorganic nonflammable material 26 is disposed adjacent to the face 14 of the panel 12, and is rigidly secured thereto "by at least the flanges 17 of the ribs 16. A similar inorganic nonflammable coherent layer 28 is disposed adjacent the surface 20 of the face sheet 18 and is maintained in position by the flanges 24 of the ribs 22. A plurality of rib members 29 are disposed between the face sheets 12 and 18. The rib members 29 have flanges 30 and 31. The flanges 30 are embedded within the insulating layer 26 wherein the flanges 31 are embedded within the insulating layer 28, thus effectively maintaining the facing sheets 12 and 18 in fixed relationship while providing no direct path having high thermal conductivity from one face to the opposite face. A cellular thermoplastic material such as foam plastic 33 is disposed within spaces 34 defined by the insulating layers 26, 28, and adjacent rib members 29.

In FIGURE 2 there is illustrated a sectional view of an alternate panel in accordance with the invention generally designated by the reference numeral 35. The panel 34 comprises a first metallic face sheet 36 having an exterior face 37 and an interior face 38 and defining a plurality of ribs 40, the ribs 40 depend from the face 38 and terminate the flange 41. Oppositely disposed and in spaced relationship to the face sheet 36 is a generally similar facing sheet 43 having an exterior surface 44 and an interior surface 45 and a plurality of dependent ribs 47 depending from the face 45. Each of the ribs 47 terminate remote from the face 45 in a flange 48. A layer of rigid nonflammable cementitious material 50 is in contact with the face 38 of the sheet 36 and encapsulates the ribs 40 and their flanges 41. A like layer of cementitious material 52 is in contact with the face 45 of the sheet 43 and encapsulates the ribs 47 thereof. A plurality of bridging spacer members 54 having terminal flanges 55 and 56 rigidly secure the layers 50 and 52 in fixed spaced relationship to each other. Between the layers 50 and 52 is defined a space 58.

In FIGURE 3 there is illustrated a schematic partly in section view of a panel generally designated by the reference numeral 65 having a first metallic facing sheet 66, a second metallic facing sheet 67, a flanged honeycombed core 68. The honeycombed core 68 is secured to and separated from the facing sheet 66 by means of the rigid uninflammable insulating layer 69. A similar rigid nonflammable insulating layer 70 secures the flanged honeycomb 68 to the facing sheet 67 and provides separation therefrom.

FIGURE 4 is an isometric representation of an alternate embodiment of a spacing member generally designated by the reference numeral which may be utilized in the practice of the invention. The spacing member 75 comprises an elongate body portion 76 which terminates at either end in the flanged heads 77 and 78.

Panels in accordance with the present invention are readily fabricated from a wide variety of materials pri marily dependent upon the type of service which is expected therefrom. Generally facing materials of alumi- 3 num, steel, or stainless steel are eminently satisfactory for most applications. Obviously materials having particular and desired properties for various applications may be utilized with generally equal facility. The nonfiammable layers such as the layers 26 and 28 of FIG- URE 1 are beneficially prepared from foamed glass, foamed slag, gypsum, plaster, concrete, vermiculitecement panels, asbestosfiber cement and the like. The panel of FIGURE 1 is readily prepared by first precasting the insulating layer on one face sheet, inserting the spacing elements 29 through the plastic foam body 33, placing the foam body on top of the uncured insulating layer, pressing the flanges of the spacing elements into the uncured material, pouring the material for the insulating layer 26 onto the foamed plastic material 33, and pressing the face sheet 12 into the uncured insulating material and subsequently allowing the nonflammable insulating material to harden.

The sheet of FIGURE 2 is prepared by pouring the insulating material for the layer 52 onto the sheet 43, inserting the spacing elements therein causing the insulating material to harden and form the insulating layer 52. A similar layer 50 is poured on the face 38 of the facing sheet 36 and while in a wet deformable condition the previously prepared assembly is positioned by inserting the flanges 55 of the spacers 54 into the uncured insulating layer and permitting the uncured insulating layer to harden.

The panel of FIGURE 3 is readily prepared in a similar manner to that of FIGURE 2.

The panels in accordance with the present invention show vastly superior fire resistance to conventional panels not utilizing the present construction system. Panels in accordance with the present invention are also light in weight and are readily assembled by conventional means well known to the art.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the manufacture of the present invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. For this reason, it is to be fully understood that all of the foregoing is intended to be merely illustrative and is not to be construed or interpreted as being restrictive or otherwise limiting of the present invention, excepting as it is set forth and defined in the hereto appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A building panel comprising at least a pair of spaced apart metallic facing sheets, each of the sheets having defined therein a plurality of rib members in spaced apart relationship over the sheet, each of the rib members projecting toward the inside of the panel and each of the spaced apart metallic sheets having a coating on the inner surface thereof comprising a layer of an inorganic nonfiammable nonmetallic material, a plurality of connecting members in spaced apart relationship between the sheets, the connecting members extending generally between the inorganic layers adjacent the facing sheets and securing the layers in spaced relationship, each of the connecting members being partially embedded in each of the layers of inorganic material and being in spaced relationship to the metallic facing sheets.

2. A building panel comprising at least a pair of spaced apart metallic facing sheets, each of the sheets having an outer side and an inner side, each of the sheets having disposed on the inner surface thereof a plurality of rib members in spaced apart relationship over the sheet, each of the rib members terminating in an enlarged portion, a layer of inorganic nonflammable rigid nonmetallic material disposed adjacent the inner sides of each of the facing sheets, a plurality of connecting members in spaced apart relationship over the inner surfaces of the sheets, each of the connecting members being secured in the inorganic layers of the facing sheet and so constructed and arranged so as to maintain the facing sheets in spaced relationship to each other, and prevent a metal to metal thermal path between the spaced facing sheets.

3. The panel of claim 2 wherein the ribs terminate in a flange.

4. The panel of claim 2 wherein the connecting members are elongated ribs having two spaced apart flanges, each flange embedded within the inorganic material and being in spaced relationship to the metallic facing sheet.

5. The panel of claim 2 wherein the inorganic layer is a cementitious material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,630,857 5/1927 Meyercord 52-619 2,103,407 12/1937 Dean 52-481 2,356,309 8/1944 Garbe 52-450 2,699,669 1/1955 Nelsson 52-481 2,717,664 9/1955 Grafman 52-619 2,804,670 9/1957 Barker 52-481 2,911,076 11/1959 Saunders et al. .52-619 3,184,013 5/1965 Pavlecka 52-615 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, 1a., Examiner.

I. L. RIDGILL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BUILDING PANEL COMPRISING AT LEAST A PAIR OF SPACED APART METALLIC FACING SHEETS, EACH OF THE SHEETS HAVING DEFINED THEREIN A PLURALITY OF RIB MEMBERS IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP OVER THE SHEET, EACH OF THE RIB MEMBERS PROJECTING TOWARD THE INSIDE OF THE PANEL AND EACH OF THE SPACED APART METALLIC SHEET HAVING A COATING ON THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF COMPRISING A LAYER OF AN INORGANIC NONFLAMMABLE NONMETALLIC MATERIAL, A PLURALITY OF CONNECTING MEMBERS IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SHEETS, THE CONNECTING MEMBERS EXTENDING GENERALLY BETWEEN THE INORGANIC LAYERS ADJACENT THE FACING SHEETS AND SECURING THE LAYERS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP, EACH OF THE CONNECTING MEMBERS BEING PARTIALLY EMBEDDED IN EACH OF THE LAYERS OF INORGANIC MATERIAL AND BEING IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO THE METALLIC FACING SHEETS. 